10.31.2006

FreeDarko Opening Night CentCom

When we don't know what to write about, we talk to each other. We are a family of learning.

Bethlehem Shoals: okayBS: what are we doingDr. Lawyer IndianChief: chattingBS: i am looking for this amare quote about how he used to skateboardDLIC: amare = opio/never lupeDLIC: kerr looks befreckledBS: kerr looks like his own stunt doubleBS: who the fuck is this quinn guyDLIC: kerr said he looked like dude in hoosiersBS: a. thought hinrich was a naziDLIC: i hate illinois nazisBrown Recluse, Esq.: i hate nocioni, but he's effectiveDLIC: he has a high voiceBR: tyler hansbrough has a high voice, too

DLIC: the heat are already showing their ageBR: walker and pierce had to be the most awkward scoring duo of all timeDLIC: i hate how they make examples out of the first gameDLIC: what if someone gets ejected for "showing up the refs"DLIC: stern gave the refs too much power with this zero tolerance shitBS: i hate toleranceBR: i hate chris duhonDLIC: deng is that dudeBS: i hate nocioni when he plays like a whoreBS: but when he plays like a euro. . .BR: i'm not feeling gordon eitherBS: the bulls really are a battle between evil and sunDLIC: i actually dislike thaboDLIC: i always want thabo to have brian grant dreadsBS: I always want to find thabo’s record

BS: stern is such a shit-eater sometimesDLIC: stern just killed it thoughDLIC: clowning the heatDLIC: TT BOYBS: he'll be just fineBR: i wish i had a growth spurt in my freshman year and grew to be an ultra athletic 3 ala devean george or TT BOYBS: tt is proof that athleticism does win gamesDLIC: the only interesting thing that happened at bulls media day was TT getting offended when someone questioned his offensive abilityBS: why can't the bulls drop these white kidsBR: the bulls are kinda sickBS: this interior d is ferociousDLIC: the key will be pj + ben at the same timeDLIC: small ball will never be able to beat that frontcourtDLIC: pj brown...realer than mostDLIC: pj/ben = tougher than sheed/benDLIC: why would you play tyrus thomas first game of the season in hostile territoryDLIC: tthomas wants to block everythingBR: dude wasn't even recruited out of high schoolBR: so crazyBS: is tyrus the new amareBS: thomas and amareBS: both futuristic and country

DLIC: gordon is the poor man's wadeBS: gordon is the white man's wadeBS: how is he brooklyn?BR: gordon is west indianBR: he's not brooklynBS: where is he fromBR: he's from money earnin' mount vernon, isn't he?BS: oh yeah, that's rightDLIC: i thought gordon was britishBS: haBR: all west indian people are kinda britishBR: their names are like nigelBR: nevilleDLIC: hahaBR: mt. vernon is a northern suburb, but kinda hoodish, right?BR: like north of the bronxDLIC: mt. vernon is not hoodishDLIC: heavy dBS: i have this thing for country city neighborhoodsBS: this is suburban hoodBS: or is it hood suburbia?

BS: they are getting punked by bunch of 24 year-olds with no offenseDLIC: truest thing said all nightDLIC: QUINN IS LOSING THEM THE GAMEBS: is he even in the nba?BS: i feel like it's some sort of commercialBS: like that lebron commerical from his rookie yearDLIC: yupBS: why would you follow through if you can't make free throws?BS: it's like signing your X with a flourishDLIC: fundamentalsBS: zo follows through like kobe doesBS: with venom

BS: i feel like part of being a blogger is that loneliness stays with you in real lifeBS: you have lonely parties with friendsDLIC: it's trueDLIC: i know lots of people who try to start blogsDLIC: but are then too social in real lifeDLIC: so the blogs don't work

DLIC: suns lakers is going to be so realDLIC: it has to go to overtimeDLIC: all suns games do

T., the reason the court looks weird is because they switched to "theater lighting" this year. Basically they put the lights down on the crowd, so the court stands out more. I didn't actually notice, and didn't remember until you pointed it out.

For the record, Mount Vernon is grimy as hell. As a huge UConn fan, I remember watching all of the human interest pieces on Ben Gordon as he was entering the draft. Dude learned how to shoot jumpers on a jerry-rigged basket; it consisted of a bottomed-out milk carton attached to an electric pole.

In conclusion, I think we need to rewrite the book on Ben Gordon. He is definitely not a white man's D-Wade. In fact, he is far too conflicted and self-effacing to ever be compared to Mr. Gameface.

Throughout his college career, you always got the impression Gordon was the most talented player on the court, but that he could never, ever assert himself in the way his peers could. During the Final Four game against Duke (I apologize for the college ball references), he arguably played the greatest game I've ever seen at that level, somehow keeping Conn in the game against a superior Duke team. For the better part of a half, he was the Alpha and the Omega, running the offense, draining triples and sinking the clutch floaters.

And yet, at the end of it all, Okafor was the one who got the glory. All the announcers had to say was that it was the quietest 20+ point game they'd ever witnessed.